Manual methods for carrying out biological assays are time-consuming and prone to user error and contamination, problems that are exacerbated when the number of samples to be assayed increases. The pipettors and tubes that are conveniently employed in manual methods are relatively large, and thus require large amounts of sample and reagents.
Automated systems have been developed to address at least some of these problems. Conventional automated assay systems typically rely on complicated mechanics, such as XYZ-plane robots or pipettors, and/or moving stages. These systems require additional user training and represent a large investment. In addition, automated systems are often more reagent intensive, and thus more costly on a per-batch basis, than manual methods.